Acknowledgments

The central figure in the conception and evolution of the Encyclopedia project was the late Dr. David D. Van Tassel. His vision, persistence of effort, and energy were responsible for the Encyclopedia's success as both a seminal resource for urban history, as well as a significant example of academic and public cooperative effort. He served as editor for both printed editions and oversaw the transfer of the content to the World Wide Web in 1998. His commitment to making solid, well-researched history available to a broad public is evidenced not only in the Encyclopedia, but also in National History Day, a program which he envisioned and initiated in Cleveland in 1974.